Why Arsenal have committed a blunder by loaning out David Ospina to Napoli
According to a report by The Guardian, David Ospina has completed a loan deal which will keep him at Napoli for the entire season. The Serie A giants also have the option of signing him permanently at the end of the term.
After making some wonderful eye-catching saves for Colombia in the 2014 World Cup, Ospina joined Arsenal from Nice. He started quite a few games in the 2014/15 season before Arsenal grabbed Petr Cech from Chelsea.
Ospina, however, failed to maintain his consistency in the following season and his errors at crucial moments proved to be costly for the team. In fact, former manager Arsene Wenger sporadically utilized him for the cup competitions.
Having slipped down the pecking order, Ospina didn’t quite impress in the limited opportunities that were handed to him. As a result, he never regained his position as Arsenal’s No. 1 and Cech’s dominance reigned supreme.
However, Arsenal have made their plans to replace the ageing Cech with Bernd Leno, who was signed from Bayer Leverkusen this summer. The German seemingly looks like the one who will take over the gloves from Cech.
Nevertheless, the decision to send Ospina on loan is a bit of a shocker. With all due respect to Cech’s brilliance and experience, the 29-year-old Colombian looked more likely to succeed under Unai Emery’s style which involves playing from the back.
In the opening fixture against Manchester City, Cech started off as the No. 1 but struggled to cope with the Spaniard’s style of play and looked sluggish and rusty on a few occasions despite making some important saves.
At 36 years of age, it will definitely be difficult for Cech to maintain his fitness levels throughout the entire length of the season. Not doubting the fact that he is still capable of playing at the highest level, his reflexes and positioning skills are well past his prime.
Furthermore, Cech lacks a vocal presence and command over the back line, something which is important to keep the defence in shape. Ospina, who has already made 90 appearances for Colombia and is one of the best goalkeepers in South America, has displayed a better sense of command over his defenders.
With Cech at the twilight of his career and new arrival Leno in the mix, Ospina should have been retained.
As Daily Star claims, Emery is not convinced with Leno and wants Cech to continue at the helm. Given his average performance against City, it will be interesting to see how the wily old goalkeeper steps up his game to do justice to his manager’s words. And even if he does start and puts up a decent showing against his former club Chelsea, it remains to be seen for how long Arsenal can bank on him.
